This invention relates to a photographic material having multiple color layers comprising a unit of at least three green sensitive silver halide emulsion layers containing at least one magenta image dye-forming coupler which is also a bleach accelerating coupler.
Color photographic materials comprising multiple layers containing photographic couplers are well known. Typical photographic materials are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,145,219; 4,724,198; 4,184,876; 4,186,016 and 4,724,198.
Prior photographic materials have exhibited problems with exposure reciprocity, speed, retained silver, color reproduction and neutral gray scale, flesh tone reproduction and image structure.
Various ways have been recognized in the photographic art for improving these problems. That is, for example, granularity can be improved but often it can be at the expense of another property such as speed. Or flesh tone color reproduction can be improved but neutral gray scale can be adversely affected. Thus, there is a great need for a photographic material which enables improvement in these properties without serious adverse affects.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,376,217 suggests that one way of avoiding the problems associated with the desensitization of emulsion layers due to the effects of the types of couplers in use in 1945 is to place a sensitized layer adjacent to the layer in question which is free of coupler. This will provide a layer which will not be adversely desensitized by the presence of coupler. The yellow couplers and the emulsions used today are not subject to desensitization problems, and thus, since this concern no longer exists, there would be no motivation to provide such a coupler-free layer in conjunction with today's couplers and emulsions.